Taming the Boar
by Little Rachael
Summary: Ino sets the record straight on who it is she really likes. Who is the lucky mystery guy? Is it Sasuke, Shikamaru...or someone else?


You'd be hard-pressed to find a name less feminine than "Ino." At least my parents were kind enough to write it in hiragana, which looks slightly cuter than the more commonly used katakana.

Those who have never met me expect me to be a rough-and-tumble kinda gal, a real tomboy. They don't think a girl with a name like "Ino" could possibly be cute, charming, or feminine. But when it comes right down to it, I'm as much of a girl as Sakura or Hinata. Just like them, I have a guy I like, a guy who couldn't possibly be replaced by anyone else in my heart.

I've heard that idiot, Naruto, called me a "fool for Sasuke." I suppose he's right. I have made a bit of a fool of myself in front of him. Poor, deluded Sasuke. He no doubt thinks that I, along with every other girl in the village, have the hots for him.

But I don't like Sasuke.

Truth be told, I don't really care for Sasuke all that much. He's cocky and full of himself and I don't think I've ever seen him express any emotion other than mild irritation. I would give anything to be able to annoy him to the point of comically flipping out, like the rest of us do. But no, all he does is shrug his shoulders, maybe grunt a bit, and go off to his Secret Brooding Place, wherever that is.

Sakura doubtless knows him better than I do, and maybe she's seen a side of him that I haven't. Maybe there's something in that pretty little head of his to warrant her liking him so much. But that doesn't explain why she liked him before she got to know him. That concerns me, because I really think she's going to end up getting hurt. Someone who's so obsessed with vengeance has no room in his heart for love. She needs someone who;s warm, somebody who can acknowledge the lovely person she is. Sasuke may be pretty, but that's all he's got going for him. In my opinion, Sakura would be better off with that Lee or even—dare I say it—Naruto. He may be a moron, but at least he _cares_.

Upon learning that Sakura liked Sasuke, I began to watch him, trying to figure out if he was good enough for my Sakura. Every day, she spoke more and more about Sasuke, and I began to feel uncomfortable. I guess people began to pick up on my feelings and mistook them for jealousy. It kind of pissed me off when Sakura told me were rivals and walked off before I even got a chance to explain. After that, I became obsessed with Sasuke, knowing he was Sakura's weakness, along with her self-consciousness about her forehead (which I think is adorable, by the way).

I wasn't always this self-aware. For a long time, I thought I really did love Sasuke. It wasn't until the day I sawSakura fighting with those ninja from Otogakure that I began to reconsider my feelings. When she cut her hair to get away from that Kin girl, she also cut the ties with those childish whims and concerns about her looks. At that moment, I understood that my crush on Sasuke had been nothing but a childish whim as well...and I also began to realize who it was I truly cared for.

I've heard rumors flying that Shikamaru and I have a thing going on. I have no idea where that came from. Maybe Shikamaru himself started it.

Sure, I like Shikamaru..._like I'd like an annoying little brother_. He's on my team, and we've become close friends as a result. But as far as I'm concerned, he's nothing more than a friend. I don't think I could _stand _having him as a boyfriend. He whines a lot, and he hardly ever smiles. He always has that scowl on his face, no matter what's going on. What's more, he's extremely sexist. He never cooks on missions because he says it's "women's work." I always make sure his portions are extra small because of that.

So who is it I like? Well, I'll give you a hint: He's on my team.

Yes, that's right. I, Ino Yamanaka, only have eyes for Chouji Akimichi.

It's not fair. Not only are fat people picked on, but so are people who love fat people. (Yes, I'm calling Chouji "fat." I think it's cute.) I know that if I ever made my feelings about him public, I'd get comments like "Let me guess: He's got a great personality!" or "Yamanaka, did you lose a bet?" or even "You just want to feel better about your own body." So what if I prefer guys with a little extra baggage? Chouji _defines "_pleasingly plump."

Chouji's not like Shikamaru. The only time he ever complains is when he doesn't have anything to eat. He always says "Thank you" when I cook for him, so I'm always sure to give him a lot. It's so nice to see somebody gobble up my cooking and ask for seconds (and even thirds!); it makes me feel appreciated. And he's not sexist, either. Unlike Shika, he doesn't act like I'm some weakling who needs to be protected.

Furthermore, Chouji knows what he wants. His first love is and always will be food. I'm fine with that. It's great for a guy to be passionate about something, have a hobby he can always get excited about. A woman who marries a man like that won't have to worry about an affair, so long asshe doesn't get jealous upon seeing him snuggle up to a big juicy steak.I get a kick out of watching him dig into a gourmet meal or eat an entire cake by himself. He's also a great cook. He's perfectly willing to cook during mission as well, so I don't have to do "women's work"all the time.Really, what more could a girl ask for?

Finally, he's not perfect. You've got guys like Neji and Sasuke who are great fighters, willing to face death over and over again, striking down everyone and everything in their path...the geniuses, the prodigies of Konohagakure. Chouji's not like that. Chouji is mediocre, clumsy, cowardly, soft-hearted, and overweight...and I love him for it, every little flaw, every kilogram of overweightness, every childish expression of his, every "More, please!" that leaves his mouth when I cook for him and Shika.

Oh, I just want to climb onto the highest mountain and proclaim to the entire world...

I LOVE CHOUJI AKIMICHI!

Now, I'm trusting you not to tell anyone about this, not even Shikamaru, and especially not Sakura. She'd never let me hear the end of it. It's not that I'm ashamed; I just simply don't think this is the right time for him to find out. He's too sweet and pure for someone like me (or any other girl I know), and besides, right now we all have to focus on our training. Even if Chouji and I did end up going out, can you imagine what that would do to poor Shikamaru? He'd feel like a third wheel.

For now, I'll keep Chouji tucked away safely in the back of my mind, only to surface when I'm not concerned with becoming a splendid chuunin, with outdoing my archrival Sakura, and maybe with bugging Sasuke a little bit on the side. But that doesn't mean I won't give up. After all, a wild boar can be tamed.

Just please, don't cook me for dinner!

_The End_


End file.
